Leviticus - 23:1



1 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

Verse In-Depth

Explanation and meaning of Leviticus 23:1.

Differing Translations

Compare verses for better understanding.
And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying,
And the Lord said to Moses,
Loquutus est Jehova ad Mosen, dicendo:

*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.


Historical Commentaries

Scholarly Analysis and Interpretation.

The specified times for public worship according to the Law were;
(1) The daily morning and evening sacrifices, sometimes called "the continual burnt-offering."
(2) The weekly Sabbath.
(3) the day of the new moon.
(4) the "set feasts" Numbers 29:39 or appointed times of annual observance, of which there were five, the Passover, the Day of Pentecost, the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles. For each of these occasions special sacrifices were appointed Numbers. 28; 29.

And the Lord spake unto Moses,.... Much about the same time as before; and having delivered to him various laws concerning the holiness of the people of Israel, who were to serve him, and of the holiness of the priests, that were to minister in holy things to him, and of the purity and perfections of their sacrifices, he here appoints various times and seasons, for the more special worship and service of him:
saying; as follows.

In this chapter we have the institution of holy times; many of which have been mentioned before. Though the yearly feasts were made more remarkable by general attendance at the sanctuary, yet these must not be observed more than the sabbath. On that day they must withdraw from all business of the world. It is a sabbath of rest, typifying spiritual rest from sin, and rest in God. God's sabbaths are to be religiously observed in every private house, by every family apart, as well as by families together, in holy assemblies. The sabbath of the Lord in our dwellings will be their beauty, strength, and safety; it will sanctify, build up, and glorify them.

This chapter does not contain a "calendar of feasts," or a summary and completion of the directions previously given in a scattered form concerning the festal times of Israel, but simply a list of those festal days and periods of the year at which holy meetings were to be held. This is most clearly stated in the heading (Leviticus 23:2): "the festal times of Jehovah, which ye shall call out as holy meetings, these are they, My feasts," i.e., those which are to be regarded as My feasts, sanctified to Me. The festal seasons and days were called "feasts of Jehovah," times appointed and fixed by Jehovah (see Genesis 1:14), not because the feasts belonged to fixed times regulated by the course of the moon (Knobel), but because Jehovah had appointed them as days, or times, which were to be sanctified to Him. Hence the expression is not only used with reference to the Sabbath, the new moon, and the other yearly feasts; but in Numbers 28:2 and Numbers 29:39 it is extended so as to include the times of the daily morning and evening sacrifice. (On the "holy convocation" see Exodus 12:16.)

*More commentary available at chapter level.


Discussion on Leviticus 23:1

User discussion of the verse.






*By clicking Submit, you agree to our Privacy Policy & Terms of Use.